Ice creeper



Oct. 19, 1954 Filed April 30, 1952 C. H. FORBES ICE CREEPER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Clarence H. Forbes INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an ice creeper and particularly to a device to be mounted on the heel of a shoe so that the wearer may be safe on ice or other slippery surfaces.

It is well known that many people are seriously injured every year because of slipping and falling on slippery surfaces such as ice, packed snow or other slippery material. It is quite inconvenient to attach most anti-skid devices to ordinary shoes, so that the wearer may be able'to walk with convenient steps on slippery surfaces.

The present invention provides an ice creeper which may be readily attached or detached from the heel of a shoe so that the wearer may have a convenient creeper arrangement and that he may walk on slippery surfaces without danger of slipping and injuring himself.

An object of this invention is obtained by means of a creeper device having a heel hand which may be clamped around the heel of an ordinary shoe and a calked plate which has a portion fitting the bottom of a heel and a plurality of ice gripping calks extending therefrom.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved ice gripper.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an ice creeper which may be readily attached to or detached from a shoe heel.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved method of securing a creeper to a shoe heel.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a light weight sturdy creeper that may be carried or used on a shoe as desired.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ice creeper in position on the foot of the wearer;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the ice creeper in locked position;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the creeper in locked position;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the creeper in locked position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and showing the expansible connection between the heel band and the gripper plate;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a modified creeper according to the invention;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the modified creeper in open position;

Figure 8 is a cross section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 8 8 of Figure 6 and showing the connection between the heel band and the gripper;

Figure 9 is a front elevation of a modified clamp in open position;

Figure 10 is a cross section of the safety catch of the clamp of Figure 9 and taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line Ill-40 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a front elevation of a further modification of the locking clamp according to the invention;

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the clamp in locked position;

Figure 13 is a similar view of the clamp in open position;

Figure 14 is an adjustable reach bar making the clamps adjustable in width; and,

Figure 15 is an exploded view of the adjustable reach member.

In the exemplary embodiments according to the invention, a substantially U-shaped heel band I 0 has a bight portion 12 and forwardly extending leg portions 14 and It. The leg portion [4 has an inturned end portion 18 forming a loop 29 in which is secured a link member 22. The link member 22 being substantially rectangular in formation.

Likewise, the leg portion i6 is provided with an inturned portion 24 providing a loop 26 in which is secured a substantially rectangular link 28. A heel plateill provided with a central aperture 32 has calk members 34 and 35 attached thereto. The calk member 34 is on the forward edge of the plate 30 and is substantially coincident with the forward edge 38 ofa heel 493 of a shoe 42. For simplicity of illustration the calks 34 and 35 are shown as relatively smooth with the calk 34 being only slightly bowed and the calk 36 as being subing to Figures 1 to 5, the heel band Ill has sideportions [4 and I5 inturned as at M and 46 and the calk 36 is discontinuous so that there is a space provided between the calk 36 and 34 such as the space 48 and 50 so that the inturned por- 3 tions 44 and 46 may underlie the heel plate 38, and an interlock is provided between the inturned portions 44 and 46 by providing slots 52 and 54 adjacent the forward end of the calk I6 so that the inturned portions 44 and 46 may slip in through the slots 52 and 54.

The bight portion I2 of the band I5 extends downwardly over the calk 36 and is connected. thereto by suitable fasteners such as the separable fasteners 58 and :65 herein shown as split rivets. Obviously, any sort of separable fastener may be used, or, if desired, and it is not wished. to replace the calks in the event they become worn, they may either be spot welded or riveted thereto.

In addition to the inturned portions 44 and 45 underlying the plate 36, reinforcing members 62 and 64 are mounted adjacent the forward ends of the legs I4 and I6, and, as is clearly shown in Figure 5, the angle shaped reinforcing member 64 rests on the inturned portion 46 and has one angle bracket thereof such as 56 extending upwardly between the leg I4 and the inturned end It. A lower portion 68 extends outwardly and underlies the plate 39 and is secured thereto by means of a separable fastener 'III which extends through slot E2 in the reinforcing member and slot I4 in the heel plate 313 so that the legs I4 and I6 may be moved laterally with respect to the plate 30 so that the heel of the shoe may be inserted between the legs of the U-shaped heel band Ill. Preferably as shown at 85 suitable spot welds are provided to attach the reinforcing members 62 and 54 to the inturned portions 44 and 46, respectively. The legs I4 and I6 will preferably be constructed of somewhat resilient material so that it may be readily spread out to allow the insertion of the heel into the band In so that it rests firmly on the plate 36 after which the band II! may be secured in a manner presently to be described.

A reach member 82 is pivotally connected in the link 28 and a reach member 84 is pivotally connected in the link 22. A lever 85 has an end 86 pivotally connected to one end of one of the reach members such as reach member 84 by means of a suitable pivotal fastener such as the rivet 88. The end of the reach member 82 is pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of the lever 85 by any suitable pivotal means such as the pivot rivet 9|]. The lever 85 is provided with a wing thumb engaging member 92 preferably with a hook-like reach engaging member 94.

In the utilization of the creeper according to this modification, the lever member 85 will be rotated about the pivot 88 to elongate the reach members 82 and 84 and cause the legs I4 and I 6 to be expanded and at the same time links 22 and 28 will move forward so that the heel of a shoe may be readily inserted into the top of the device and rest firmly on the top of the plate 30. The lever 85 will then be reversed so that the pivot 90 will form an are about the pivot 88 and shorten the distance between the loop members and 26 and firmly bind the leg members I4 and I6 against the side of the heel and the hook member 94 will engage the reach member 84 preferably with suincient friction engagement so there will be little tendency for the hook to slide off of the reach member 84. Also, as is well known in this art, the pivots 83 and 99 will be offset from the center of the lever 85 so that the pressure on the resilient legs I 4 and IE will cause the lever to move to closing instead of to opening position.

A lost motion connection between the reinforcing angles 62 .and 64 and the plate 36 allow the legs I4 and I6 to readily move in and out so that the attachment connection can easily be made. The opening 32 in the plate prevents the formation of a vacuum in the space under the plate 30 so that there will be little tendency of snow or ice to cling in that space. Further, the calk members 34 and 36 are preferably slightly outwardly flaring so that the snow or ice will readily discharge itself from the opening therein.

A simplified embodiment of the invention according to Figures 6 to 8, utilizes a split plate having two sections I65 and I82 mounted in a U- shaped heel band I64. The sections I III] and I02 have depending flanges I86 and I68 which extend substantially unbroken from the center I II) to the forwardedges of the plates I04 and IE2. The forward edges of the plates I60 and I02 being turned down as at I I2 and I I4 to provide additional calks at the forward portion of the device.

The heel band I04 is substantially continuous all the way around the plates I80 and I52 so that there is no weakened portion therein and connection is made by means of separable fasteners such as I I5. The heel band I84 has terminal portions I26 and I22 turned in to provide the loop portions I24 and I26 in which are mounted the links I28 and I36. The reach member I32 is pivotally connected to the link I28 and the reach member I34 is pivotally connected to the link I30. The lever I35 has one end I38 pivotally connected to the free end of the reach member I34 as by a suitable rivet I4Il. The reach member I32 has its end I42 pivotally connected to the lever I36 intermediate the ends thereof by a suitable pivot rivet I44. The lever I36 is provided with a thumb lever I46 and the hook or catch I48. Preferably the reach member I34 is provided with a struck out portion I58 to increase the frictional engagement between the lever I35 and the reach member I34. As is usual the pivots I and I44 will be offset from the center line of the lever I36 so that when the lever I36 is in closed position the tension produced by the clamping band I04 will tend to produce closing instead of opening action of the lever.

In order to provide positive locking action of the lever engagement, a lever I52 may be provided with a spring arm I54 in which is mounted a lock pin I55 to engage apertures I58 and I64 in the lever I52 and the hook I62. Likewise the reach member I34 is provided with an aperture I64 for receiving a pin I58. As will be readily apparent, the arm I54 is resiliently sprung outward so that the clamp member may be placed in locked position after which the pin I56 will be allowed to extend through the apertures I58, I65 and I64 to positively lock the toggle member in closed position.

The locking members as heretofore described have operated by rotary motion in the plane of the toggle members. However, it is also apparent that the locking members may be transversed to the plane of the locking members and, as shown in Figures 11 to 13, a reach member no has one end I'I'Z pivotally connected to an end I'I4 of a locking lever I'IS by means of a link I18. A combined link and reach piece I is connected intermediate the ends of the lever I'I6 so that rotation of the lever arm I76 about the link I18 results in lengthening or shortening of the lock member between the ends of the heel clamp band. A locking ring I82 is slidably mounted on the reach member IlII so that it may be slid over the lever I76 to lock it in position against or in parallel relation to the reach member I'III when the toggle member is in closed or shortened position. The thumb catch I84 may be provided on the ring I82 and preferably a guide member I86 is provided on the ring to prevent rocking motion thereof and to assist in holding it in closed position.

It is frequently desirable to make the reach members adjustable and such a construction is shown in Figures 14 and 15. The reach member is provided as of two pieces which interflt one within the other and the interfitting pieces ISil and I92 are provided with apertures I94 and I98. The apertures I94 in the reach member I92 being spaced a different amount than the apertures I 96 in the reach member I 94 and a suitable fastening member such as an expansible rivet I98 is provided to connect the members I99 and I92. Obviously by variously asserting the openings I96 and I94 various lengths of the reach member may be secured as desired.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a convenient ice creeper which may be adjusted to any desired size heel and may be conveniently carried for application to a heel on the occurrence of slippery conditions.

For purposes of exemplification whereas embodiments have been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof, however, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A demountable ice creeper adapted for attachment to a shoe heel comprising a resilient, substantially U-shaped heel band, a link secured to the end of each leg of the U, a clamp connected between said links, a rigid heel plate detachably connected to said heel band, depending ice calks on said plate, an angle member secured adjacent the forward end of each leg of said U- shaped heel band, a portion of each of said angle members underlying said heel plate, said heel plate having laterally extending slots therein, fastener means secured to said angle members and slidable in said slots for permitting lateral openings of said heel band.

2. A demountable ice creeper adapted for attachment to a shoe heel comprising a substantially U-shaped heel band, a link secured to the end of each leg of the U, a clamp connected between said links, a heel plate detachably connected to said heel band, depending ice calks on said plate, a lost motion connection between said heel band and said heel plate, a portion of said heel band being arranged in underlying relation to the said heel plate, the ends of the legs of said U-shaped heel band being bent back inwardly thereof, an angle shaped reinforcing member for each of said legs, said angle shaped members resting on said underlying portions, one side of said angles being retained by said bent back ends.

3. A demountable ice creeper for attachment to a shoe heel, comprising a substantially rigid heel plate, a downturned arcuate portion on the rear of said plate, a substantially U-shaped resilient heel band, the bight portion on said heel band being fastened to said downturned arcuate portion, the lower edge portion of the legs of the heel band being inturned and underlying the side edge of said heel plate, an angle shaped reinforcing member attached adjacent the forward. end of each of the legs of said U-shaped heel band, one flange of each of said angle members underlying the heel plate, said heel plate having slots therein, fasteners on said angle member slidable in said slots, a contractible linkage joining the ends of the legs of the U-shaped heel band.

4. A demountable ice creeper for attachment to a shoe heel, comprising a substantially rigid heel plate, a downturned arcuate portion on the rear of said plate, a substantially U-shaped resilient heel band, the bight portion on said heel band being fastened to said downturned arcuat-e portion, the lower edge portion of the legs of the heel band being inturned and underlying the side edge of said heel plate, an angle shaped reinforcing member attached adjacent the forward end of each of the legs of said U-shaped heel band, one flange of each of said angle members underlying the heel plate, said heel plate having slots therein, fasteners on said angle member slidable in said slots, the ends of the legs of said U shaped heel band being inturned, said inturned ends embracing the other flange of said angle shaped members, 'a clamping linkage connecting the ends of the legs of said heel band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 554,882 Knowles Feb. 18, 1896 740,021 Kelley Sept. 29, 1903 743,736 La Parr Nov. 10, 1903 849,901 Heinichen Apr. 9, 1907 935,998 Kossier Oct. 5, 1909 1,059,853 Feister Apr. 22, 1913 1,102,646 Cole July 7, 1914 1 866,386 Antz July 5, 1932 

